Page 62 - MetalForming September 2015

Using an ERP System to Improve Sales
firm and those 20 percent of customers who drive 80 percent of sales.
To improve market share, a much more logical use of data is to streamline account history, demand analytics, sea- sonal trending and nonconformance to marketing. Positioning, distribution, pricing and PR then are thoughtfully structured for market capture. ERP data can be used to price and position prod- ucts for new market segments. The integration between marketing and ERP links forecasts to production. Operation managers then can better- forecast scheduling and capacity.
Pricing Strategies
Manufacturers also can use ERP data variances to gauge market elas- ticity and prompt the sales team to create price floors. This process pro- vides sales people more room to vary pricing for unique customer situations. Similarly, this strategy allows the com- pany to push higher prices while stay- ing competitive. This provides sales
people with room for healthy negotia- tion, while allowing them to speak to the needs of their customers.
ERP data suggest new pricing on a case-by-case basis. For a modern enter- prise with these ERP configurations in mind, revenue can significantly increase. This pushes enterprises to improve vendor-client relationships and product accessibility, creating a competitive advantage. The perceived value then can be used to increase pric- ing and improve margins.
Another avid pricing strategy, becoming more apparent in modern business, is the use of ERP data to expe- dite same-day shipping and procure- ment. Mobile users should have access to inventory, shipping information and compliance certifications, to react to sudden changes in the marketplace. Adding this type of capability allows sales to place orders in real time. Acces- sibility to account data prompts an environment for suggestive selling of new products, services and warranties.
Access to ERP also can move price con- tracts through the approval process in real time for a same-day signing. This added value also can be built into pric- ing, since customers find ease of order integral to their ongoing operations.
Integrating CRM and ERP
So how do businesses render such ample functionality? One solution is to integrate marketing and sales appli- cations—CRM and marketing-automa- tion software—and the ERP system. This allows marketing and sales to col- laborate on how to structure nurturing campaigns. Users can automate reordering and ensure that account managers stay on top of accounts.
Such synchronized business process- es provide these departments with access to ERP data that allow sales and marketing leaders to possess more con- trol over fewer accounts with greater sales potential. Ultimately, this allows businesses to do more with the data that already exist inside their walls. MF
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